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Monday, June 19, 2017

ANNOUNCING: A photo contest to help Jonny Justice carving find a NEW (shelter) home!

Who are the Good Guys? Do you know of an Animal Shelter that's been a champion for blocky dogs (ie, pit bulls and their mixes) in your community? Maybe you adopted your best friend from them. Or maybe you're a volunteer, staff member or rescue partner with a shelter who's gone the distance through word and deed to lead the dogs away from old days of negative stereotypes into a new era of enlightened compassion.

If 'Yes,' we want to thank them for moving the needle for pit bulls to a much better place.

October 27 of this year will mark the tenth anniversary that the federal government officially green-lighted the 'Vick dogs' release to new beginnings. Ten years! So much has changed for the better since the dogs showed us that rescued pit bulls deserve a chance to be seen as individuals and whenever possible, welcomed into caring homes.To celebrate this special anniversary, we're giving a special gift to one lucky Animal Shelter

BADRAP co-founder and celebrated sculptor Tim Racer has been busy carving a portrait of beloved Vick dog and Poster Boy Jonny Justice. Our goal is to identify an animal shelter who will 'adopt' his carving and give it a permanent home. Photo of Jonny above from Melissa McDaniel's Photo Book Project.

This is a truly special gift. Tim's museum quality dog portraits are carved in the traditional old world Carousel style and are highly sought after by collectors of fine art. They've attracted national media attention and commissions from notable dog lovers including Animal Farm Foundation founder Jane Berkey (Josh & Petal, photo above) and Westminster ribbon winner Patricia Hearst Shaw (See: Frida).

Creating a life size likeness of Jonny Justice will take hundreds of hours. It's a labor of love and a way to keep the Vick dog legacy alive long after the last survivor passes on from old age. Since this will be the first time that a non-profit makes a home to one of his carvings, the question we wrestled with: How do we possibly decide who should be the guardian of this special piece? Our best hope is that dog lovers like you will show up to make that decision.

Calendar photo contest to determine Carousel Jonny's new home
Because a shelter's heart can be seen in the faces of their dogs, we've decided to rely on a calendar photo contest to help us identify a 'winner'. So just after Labor Day, we'll be accepting online submissions of photos of blocky dogs who came through shelter adoption programs - adopted dogs or those who are still waiting for homes. Voters (You!) will help us identify the winning shelter through an accumulation of $1 votes for their favorite submission. The photo with the most votes will determine the shelter who will receive the Jonny art. It's a fundraiser for BADRAP and a way to signal our collective applause for all the shelters who've brought the last decade of Vick dog lessons home to their own corners.

Yes, this IS a big deal. Here's some of the nitty gritty for participating:

You have time to capture your winning image: We'll start accepting photos online on Sept. 5 and the contest will run for three weeks.

The shelter dog photo with the most votes will win the Jonny Justice carving for his or her shelter and the cover of the 2018 Shelter Dog Celebration Calendar produced by BADRAP.

Anyone can enter, but the entries must be submitted on behalf of the specific animal shelter where the dog in the photo came from. Thanks for understanding that we reserve the right to request documentation to demonstrate the shelter of origin for dogs submitted.

For the purpose of this contest, an 'animal shelter' will be defined as a public or private non-profit in the United States or Canada with an active adoption program for homeless dogs and an indoor location to safely house and display the life size Jonny Justice carving (lobby, community room, etc.). The winning shelter will agree to make the carving accessible to the general public for viewing and will display signage detailing the historical significance of the Vick dog case. If the winning shelter declines the carving or is not able to meet our display requirements, it will be made available to the next shelter in line with the next highest tally of votes.

Rescue groups? We welcome contest entries of dogs from non-profit rescue groups, however, if the rescue group does not maintain a brick and mortar facility that will allow public viewing, the carving will be gifted to the animal shelter where the dog originated from.

In the spirit of supporting shelters who embrace non-discriminatory laws and practices, participating animal shelters must 1) actively include pit bulls and their mixes in their adoption program and 2) if they exist in a municipality that restricts 'pit bulls' through BSL, must have an anti-BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) position statement published on their website, etc.

More than one photo can be submitted on behalf of the same shelter(s).

Photo submissions can be taken in any location - inside or outside of the shelter. Your adopted dog in your home? Fine. A gorgeous image captured while she was living at the shelter? By all means, Yes.

The top twelve photos with the most votes will place in the same calendar.

'Runners Up' prizes will happen. Stay tuned for details.

BADRAP will cover transport arrangements and hand deliver the finished carving to the shelter. And - BONUS! - if the shelter is within driving distance of the SF Bay Area, it may arrive with a visit from Jonny Justice and his adopters Cris Cohen and Jennifer Long.

Want to get a winning photo? You've got a few weeks to get your game on for an awesome submission in September. A great resource for getting eye-catching pix of shelter dogs is HeARTs Speak. Their Perfect Exposure Project has been offering hands-on instruction, donated photography equipment, training and inspiration to "positively and effectively promote the animals" in animals shelters' care. Look'em up!